Ablaze
by Tsume Yuki
Summary: Harry James Potter died at the age of seventeen. At the age of eighteen, Bucky Barnes met the strangest girl he would ever know, but it wouldn't be until they met again in a war that he'd realize just how special she was. FemHarryxBucky, Reborn Harry
1. Chapter 1

**Ablaze**

Harry James Potter died at the age of seventeen, hit in the back by a stray curse as the Death Eaters fled in the face of Lord Voldemort's defeat. No one noticed until his lungs had already passed the possibility of rescue, collapsing in on themselves and sending the Man-Who-Conquered crashing to the floor, desperately trying to draw breath into his chest.

All over the United Kingdom, he would be celebrated, beloved by all that survived the war. Shrines would be built, stories would be wrote, and he would forever be remembered. Their saviour.

.

Not that Harry knew any of this.

He had his own problems to deal with now. Mainly the fact he was not in the white train station but a white room that smelt of antiseptic. In a hospital, in a body far too small and far from his own.

 **Chapter 1** _  
August 1935_

"Are you okay down there?"

Head still reeling from the forceful punch that'd been laid on the side of his skull, James Buchanan 'Bucky' Barnes clenched his eyes shut in an attempt to stop the world from spinning. It didn't work.

God damnit Steve.

He couldn't quite remember how, but he knew almost for certain that this whole thing was Steve's fault. It always was. Steve always got into fights, started a punching match with guys twice his height and thrice his weight.

And it was always Bucky's job to wade in and retrieve him, which usually meant getting involved in the fight itself.

This was one of the worse ones, the both of them had ended up getting trounced. Steve better be okay, because as soon as he could get his legs under him again, Bucky was gonna kick his ass.

A cold, wet hand pressed against the side of his temple, just right of where his skull was throbbing, and Bucky hissed in pain.

"Wow, that's a doozy of a bruise you've got there." The voice was female, young, but not massively so. Definitely a teenager. What such a young dame was doing out and about on the streets of Brooklyn on her own though, Bucky didn't have the slightest clue.

"Is he okay?!" Steve's concerned, panicked voice, half broken by his asthma, had Bucky's lips twitching up in a smile.

Steve was okay. Good.

"I'll be fine when I get my hands around your neck, Punk."

Steve's usual stuttered laugh was joined by a lighter, airier one and Bucky finally summoned up the will to open his eyes.

Two figured were crouched beside him, Steve's earnest face, looking so sad and pitiful that Bucky just knew he'd end up not telling the punk off, was joined by a young girl. Somewhere around fourteen or fifteen maybe.

She was a startling sight to see, with bright red hair, the colour of blood, pinned neatly up at one side and falling over her shoulder at the other, and her eyes; brilliant, vivid green glancing between both himself and Steve, something like humour and concern flashing in them.

"He's right, your friend will be fine." The girl looked back at Steve and smiled, head tilting to a side and long red hair tumbled a little more off her shoulder. It had the desired effect, Steve's eyes went wide at the same time a blush dusted across his cheeks. Yeah, only a few more years and the little dame would be quite the looker.

"I saw the whole thing, you've certainly got a pair of cojones, taking those guys on your own."

Steve choked on his own saliva and Bucky felt his lips twitch up into a wicked smirk. Those certainly weren't the kind of words you were expecting to come out from such a tiny dame's mouth.

"Don't tell him that, or he'll start picking fights with every idiot he can find, hoping to impress another pretty girl."

Now it was the girl's turn to flush, cheeks pinking as she took a gentle hold of his arm and helped ease him into a sitting position. She looked about three or four years younger than him and Steve, Bucky was pleased to note. His brain hadn't been addled by that hit after all. Good news.

"Are the two of you going to be okay alright? I know a good doctor…" She trailed off as Bucky grimaced, worrying her lip between her teeth.

She was from wealth, that much he could tell. While she'd done a pretty decent job of disguising it, Bucky could pick out the oddities. The dress was nice enough even if it came from Brooklyn, but it was more 'Sunday Best' than daywear; he'd passed by a shop selling the very same dress a few days ago. That and the shape of her breasts were far more flattering than the women that Bucky had been with so far; she had a good brassiere, and those cost money.

There was something about her face too, something in it that said she was from money.

Even if she did have a surprising amount of moxie.

Still, a doctor was no good, neither he nor Steve had a lot of cash, certainly not enough to go splurging on a doctor for a few bruises that'd heal in a week tops.

"Nah, we'll be good sweet-heart."

The girl scowled, running a hand through her thick fringe, only to abort the movement halfway through. Still, it was enough to get a good gander at the lightning bolt scar that rested on the skin beneath.

"Well, if you're sure," she got to her feet in a fluid, smooth movement, the small heels of her shoes clicking against the concrete that Bucky was still half sprawled over.

"Ma'am? Can we not get your name?" Steve was looking back at the red-head with his 'happy puppy' smile.

It wasn't any wonder why, normally all the dames avoided the both of them when they'd just been in a fight. Even if they hadn't, it was usually quite difficult to get any girls looking at Steve to begin with, especially when he was stood next to Bucky. But the little red-head had seen them both. Treated them the same.

"It's Harry," the girl, Harry, offered over her shoulder, grinning back at them, "try to stay out of any more fights for a few days, okay?"

.

It would be another five years before Bucky ran into the crimson haired 'Harry' again.

* * *

 **Right then, I am trash for FemHarryxBucky and no one else has wrote anything for it so I'm going to keep coming up with more stories until I tire of it. Seeing as I got 1,000+ favourite on my last FemharryxBucky, at least a few of you seem happy enough to keep reading this stuff.**

 **So, here we have Harry reborn as a highclass female in America, because I wanted to write some Pre-Captain America Bucky. Thoughts?**

 **Tsume  
xxx**


	2. Chapter 2

**Ablaze**

 **Chapter 2** _  
September 1940_

"You Bucky Barnes?"

Snapping around to look at the kid that'd come running down the street, Bucky blinked, trying to force back the irritation that welled in his chest. It wasn't the kid's fault that he couldn't find Steve anywhere, that he'd been home from working at the docks for almost three hours now and there was still no sign of his weedy best friend anywhere.

"What of it kid?"

The boy blinked, grey eyes staring back at him from under a fringe of thick black hair.

"Miss Harry asked me to come and getcha. Said she's in hospital with a Steve Rogers?"

.

He'd never run so fast, leaving the kid messenger in the dust because goddamn it, Steve was in hospital. How the hell had he ended up in hospital? Part of him prayed that the idiot had been dragged there by some do-gooder after he'd been caught up in a fight. A fight he'd probably started over some guy with bad manners, or something along the same lines.

Regardless, Bucky had managed to get the hospital quickly, making his way through the halls as respectfully swift as he could once he'd gotten the room number. The doctor had been friendly enough, confirming that Steve wasn't in for anything regarding his usually poor health, but instead was recovering from a fight.

He really wished the little punk would at least wait for Bucky to finish work before he went off starting fights. Because the idiot clearly needed all the help he could get.

Striding into the room, Bucky felt his heart clench at the sight of Steve laid out in the hospital bed, so clearly injured by the bandages wrapped around his head. But his eyes were open and lucid. Aside from the bruises caking his skin, Steve seemed physically fine.

Breathing a sweet sigh of relief, Bucky dropped into the chair by his friend's bedside, eyes drifting over to look at the other occupant of the room, before he startled in surprise.

He'd only seen hair that particular shade of red once before, about five or so years ago.

He'd been right, the little dame had grown into a beautiful doll. The soft curves along her body and the sharp angles of her face all proudly proclaimed her as a fine young woman.

This time though, she was dressed more fittingly, in a simple white blouse and worn blue skirt. So she'd learnt a bit over the past few years then?

"Harry was it?" Bucky asked with a cocky grin, offering his hand up to the young woman. Her eyes hadn't dimmed with time, even glimmering under the dull lighting of the hospital room as she slipped her thin fingers around his palm.

Before he could so much as start to lift her hand to his lips, she was shaking his hand like no other dame before her had done, her grip strong. When his gaze flashed to hers in surprise, he didn't miss the steel in her expression, daring him to say something about the significance of a handshake over a kiss.

Seems her moxie hadn't changed a bit either.

"I do believe I never got your name."

"You've got a lotta crust, doll-face, walking around Brooklyn on your own. But seeing as you've helped these idiots before you- the name's James Buchanan Barnes, but people just call me Bucky."

Harry offered him a smile before turning back to the bedside cabinet and pouring a third glass of water.

As she did so, Bucky turned his gaze on Steve, who seemed to be trying to meld with the sheets in the hopes it'd get him out from under Bucky's impressive glare.

"What have I told you, punk, about getting it fights-"

"Come-on Buck, Harry's already busted my chops for it."

Yeah, he could totally see the redhead telling Steve off for getting into a fight, in fact, this was the second time they'd met, and it'd involved a fight once again. Only this time, Harry appeared to have gotten her way because Steve was in a hospital bed. Speaking of which-

"How much is this gonna cost Stevie?" Because sure, he had a little nest egg set aside, spare money he'd been secretly funnelling away in order to make sure that the next time Steve had an attack -and there would be an attack, there always was- they could afford it. But it seemed now that he'd be paying for Steve's latest bust up instead.

"Doesn't matter Mr Barnes, I've already cover it," Harry mused, handing him a glass and then with one finger, she pushed his jaw back up until his teeth clacked back together, "least I could do, seeing as I was the one that dragged him here. Trust me, it's nothing."

"Ma'am, I really don't want to impose," Steve cut in, earnest blue eyes darting over to look at the female who now stood, one hand cocked on her hip and a frown on her face.

"No way, I've already paid for the room for a night, if you leave then it's just going to sit empty and certainly waste my money." The girl huffed, crossing her arms just under her breasts and Bucky took a second to appreciate how well they filled out the blouse that caged them. The brassiere had let her down again -so to speak- because he could tell by the shape it wasn't anything like the usual girls of Brooklyn wore.

"And it's Harry, not Ma'am."

"But-"

"How about I take you dancing instead? Show you Brooklyn properly?"

Slowly, both figures turned to look at him, not giving Bucky a chance to regret blurting that out. She sure as hell was a fine looking dame.

One red brow was quirked in his direction, a smile playing across Harry's lips that was somewhere along the lines of bemusement.

"How'd you know I don't already have a man to take me dancing?"

"You're certainly good looking enough to get one, but any man who lets a looker like you walk around Brooklyn on your own is a first class idiot." Because there was no way any hot blooded male would ignore her walking by.

Harry knew it too by the way her lips twisted a bit more into a smirk, brushing some of the crimson flyaway hairs back from her face.

"I can look after myself, probably wouldn't be let out of the house if I couldn't." She seemed pretty self assured, stood with her arms folded and a sly grin on her face, practically asking him to test her.

But he wouldn't.

Let her keep her secrets, it'd make the game even more fun.

"If you say so doll-face."

"Bucky, can you please keep your flirting out of my hospital room," Steve cut in, exasperated.

The female in the room giggled, primly getting to her feet and fetching her handbag as she did so.

"Pick your place, and I'll meet you outside it in a week's time. Seven o'clock, on the dot."

Well, who was he to argue with that?

* * *

 **I got asked about the chapter length on this; for the first Part (Basically everything before Captain America) the chapters will be shortish, but after that, they'll get longer as we go on.**

 **One reviewer has already rightly guessed several things about Harry. But I'm still smoothing a few things out in my head, so, thoughts?**

 **Tsume  
xxx**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ablaze**

 **Chapter 3** _  
September 1940_

"Red hair again huh?"

Bucky paused, looking down at the watercolour before him to see that the dame winking back at him did in fact have red hair. And green eyes. And that teasing little tilt to her lips.

"God damn it."

Four drawings in four days, and every last one of them had red hair and green eyes. Only the first one had been a conscious choice. Every other time, he'd lost himself in the drawing, sat beside Steve at life drawing. This was the third time he'd tried not to draw Harry and still ended up with her grinning back at him from the page. It wasn't the coy, inviting smile of the usual pin-up. No, it was a smug, teasing 'I know something you don't' smile, borderline smirk. It was the exact expression Harry had given him before she'd sauntered out of the hospital room a week ago.

"You're taking her out tonight, right?"

Glancing at Steve, sat beside him with a perfect drawing of the woman posing the for the class, Bucky tried not to roll his eyes. He failed.

"That's right punk. Why, want me to find you a dame to take out too?"

Steve growled, thin shoulders bunching under his ill-fitting shirt.

"No. I'm cooking spaghetti for Ma tonight, and I need to get Mr Jameson's advert for the paper done."

Smirking to himself Bucky looked down at his drawing once again, taking in the features. He'd started off working from the model, but the more he'd gotten into it, the more adjustments he'd made and the more it'd started to look like Harry. Just like the last three drawings.

"She'd make a good model," Steve murmured, head cocked to stare at Bucky's work with a teasing grin on his face, "we'd be allowed to use brighter colours than normal, considering her hair and eyes." That was very true.

Looking up at the model, Bucky tried to picture Harry taking her place, and found himself grinning at the image in his mind.

Harry with nothing but a white sheet wrapped around her form, only just hinting at the curves that lay beneath, her long red hair a startling contrast against her pale skin and the white of the sheet. Yeah, she'd make a damn fine model.

Maybe she'd be willing to come and sit for a session? No harm in asking. Hell, if he was lucky, he'd get a private session with her instead.

"She would," Bucky agreed, pulling the paper free of his easel and putting it down to the side. This time, he was determined to actually draw the model before him, because she wasn't too hard on the eyes either.

Besides, he'd be seeing Harry later that night anyway.

.

As she'd said she would be, Harry was waiting outside, a thick shawl wrapped around her shoulders and red hair meticulously done up in a set of pin curls. Even from across the street though, he could see the irritation on her face as a man continued to badger her, and Bucky felt something cold settle in his chest when the swine dared to lay a hand on the girl. Even if he and Harry weren't anything solid, just here for a night out, that didn't mean a man could put his hand on a dame that was so obviously not interested.

Before he could even open his mouth though, Harry struck, quicker than a viper she latched onto the man's wrist and twisted it.

The end result was the man almost double over, arm twisted behind his back and whimpering. Right then, Harry had been truthful, she could take care of herself.

"I see you've got him in hand, doll."

Green eyes flickered up to look at him and that same thrice damned grin spread across her face. Her grip didn't slacken, not once.

"I'd much rather have my hands all over you."

Snorting at the sheer forwardness of her words, Bucky offered his arm, watching as Harry debated between taking his offer, or dealing out some more punishment to the ass who'd been trying it on with her. After a second's thought, she kicked the male to the side, sliding smoothly to stand beside him and not looking ruffled in the slightest.

"Well, I think I can see why you're allowed to walk around Brooklyn on your own."

She smelt of a strange flowery perfume, but beneath that was the scent of something naturally female, and, and motor oil? He definitely knew that smell, and there was a trace of it lingering on Harry. Strange.

"Please, that's only the opening act you've seen. I'm very good at getting myself in and out of trouble."

"Oh really?"

Watching the little slip of a dame easily step out onto the dance floor, Bucky let her drag him out, not that he was putting up much of a fight.

"Really. I killed a man-eating snake with just a sword once."

Rolling his eyes, he tucked the crimson haired under his arm in a spin, watching the lose sections of her hair twirl free.

"Are all your adventures so exciting?"

"Not really, it's calmed down a bit since then. Why, don't you have any of your own?"

Earnest green eyes peeked up at him from behind those thick black lashes and Bucky knew exactly why he'd spent the past few days trying to capture her on paper. Her colouring really was stunning, he'd never seen hair so red or eyes so green.

"Most of my adventures start with Steve. I either wade in and pluck him out, or I end up getting beaten up right there beside him."

Harry's response was to smile, fingertips drumming against his shoulder as they spun around.

"I think it's sweet. Sticking by your friend through thick and thin. Loyalty like that's a hard thing to find."

.

They danced for a bit longer, never going any deeper in their conversation, but still enjoying themselves. Bucky hadn't been too happy about just leaving her to wait for her ride, and had remained stood by her side until a car pulled up.

"You know, I was trying pretty hard to not let on I came from money," Harry grumbled, eyeing the car and then looking back at him.

Smirk tugging at the corner of his lips, Bucky drew the girl closer to him, planting a chaste kiss on the corner of her lips. Because he sure as hell wasn't going to push her luck when there was a chance some overprotective male relation was in that car.

He only got a moment to appreciate the way Harry's chest was pressed flushed against his own before she curved effortlessly from his grasp.

But not before he a cheeky pinch on his rear startled him. Harry's smug, grinning face was the last he saw before she disappeared behind the car door.

.

It wouldn't be until he got home that he'd notice the paper folded up in his pocket.

' _Meet me at the same place, Saturday, 12 O'clock? Let's go on a walk?_ _-H_ '

* * *

 **Read somewhere that Steve's Ma doesn't die until 1941, so there you go.**

 **Tsume  
xxx**


End file.
